DESCENDANTS OF PARENTS OF CONVERSE GRAVES, WILLIAM GRAVES AND OSCAR GRAVES OF MEIGS CO., OH

GENERATION 1

------ Graves (1) married------. The 3 children listed below are thought to be theirs, based on similarity of names and places in the 1880 census. Checking the 1850 and earlier censuses might confirm that. The family probably lived in Meigs Co., OH, and the children listed below were probably born in Harrisonville or Scipio, Meigs Co., OH. (The IGI suggests Harrisonville, which is also where Oscar lived in 1880, but Converse lived in Scipio.)

It is possible that this family is related to that of George Graves and Mary B. Osborn of Lincolnshire or Yorkshire, England & U.S. (gen. 255), since the unusual name of Converse Graves is association with that family also. The next 2 paragraphs are from that genealogy. Perhaps the descent is from George and Mary's son Philip Graves, born 1798, whose descendants aren't known.

Abbott Fuller Graves, grandson of George Graves, had a piano he claimed was one of the earliest built in Boston, and he also claimed that it was manufactured by a relative. Extensive research has shown that a likely candidate for the manufacturer was George Graves, piano-forte maker who started in Boston in 1846. This concern eventually became Graves & Co. in 1851 until it was taken over about 1869 and became E. G. Wright & Co. Family members (possibly related to immigrant George Graves) who were involved with this concern (1846-1869) are George Graves, Samuel Graves, George M. Graves, Elbridge W. Graves, Converse Graves, Thomas Graves, Oscar Graves, and Fred D. Graves. (There was a Elbridge William Graves, born 1869, descended from gen. 168, but it is very unlikely that is this person. )

Converse L. Graves was listed as a piano forte maker in Boston in 1853-4. He died 25 Aug. 1897 in New York City, NY. The Boston Transcript, 26 Aug. 1897, p. 5, "Recent Deaths", listed him as an actor and dramatist. The Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 1897, p. 2, "Converse L. Graves Dead", said he had a brother in San Francisco and a sister in Portland, ME. It is assumed that all these references are to the same person, since the name is unusual.

Children - Graves

+2. Converse Graves, b.c. 1829, m. Martha Knopp, c. 1858.

+3. William Graves, b.c. 1830, m. Mary J. ------.

+4. Oscar Graves, b.c. 1844, m. Martha ------.

GENERATION 2

CHILDREN OF ------ GRAVES (1)

Converse Graves (2) was born about 1829 in OH. He married Martha ------. She was born about 1837 in OH. According to the 1880 census for Scipio, Meigs Co., OH, his name was spelled Convers, he was a farmer, age 51, both his parents were born in CT, and both her parents were born in VA. All their children were born in OH.

Children - Graves

5. Mary C. Graves, b.c. 1858.

6. Oscar Graves, b.c. 1863.

7. Ora E. Graves, b.c. 1865.

8. Alva Graves, b.c. 1868.

9. Nettie Graves, b.c. 1871.

10. Bessie Graves, b.c. 1877.

William Graves (3) was born about 1830 in OH. He married Mary J. ------. She was born about 1838 in OH. According to the 1880 census for Fairfield, Wayne Co., IL, he was a gunsmith, age 50, both his parents were born in MA, and both her parents were born in OH. Their son Converse was "apprentice to gunsmith". Also in the household were Eva Fox, age 22, born in TN, servant, and Nettis Jones, age 7, born in IL. (R-1)

Oscar Graves (4) was born about 1844 in OH. He married Martha ------. She was born about 1848 in OH. According to the 1880 census for Harrisonville, Meigs Co., OH, he was a farmer, age 36, birthplaces of parents not known, and her parents wre both born in OH. Both their children were born in OH. Also in the household was a servant Lucetta Ables, age 16, born in OH.